Little Gem Pea Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette – A Crisp & Refreshing Spring Side
Looking for a bright and crunchy salad that screams spring? This Little Gem Pea Salad is your go-to. Made with crisp Little Gem lettuce, sweet green peas, fresh herbs, sprouted lentils, vegetable sprouts, and tossed in a tangy lemon vinaigrette, it’s a simple yet flavorful salad side dish that comes together in minutes. Whether you’re serving it at an Easter brunch, a spring picnic, or alongside a weeknight dinner, this refreshing spring salad recipe brings seasonal produce to the spotlight—with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
What Is Little Gem Lettuce?
If you ever spied pretty little mini heads of lettuce, neatly compacted into petite bundles in varying colors of green and red, then you’ve probably had an encounter with Little Gem lettuce, a variety popular among chef’s and small organic farmers. I grow it in my garden, and purchase it frequently at my local farmers market in Ojai. You can also find it in well-stocked super markets.
This Little Gem Pea Salad recipe showcases this easy spring salad featuring little gem lettuce, vegetable sprouts, dill, sweet peas, sprouted red lentils (you can find these in natural food stores, make it yourself, or substitute with cooked, cooled red lentils), and an easy lemon EVOO vinaigrette. It’s super easy to prepare, and packed with the tender, sunny flavors of the farm. With only 6 ingredients, you can whip up this healthy, vegan, gluten-free Little Gem Pea Salad in under 10 minutes. If you don’t have Little Gem lettuce, substitute any tender baby lettuce green, such as butter or leaf lettuce.
Description
This Little Gem Pea Salad is a fresh, crunchy, and vibrant side dish made with tender peas, crisp lettuce, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette.
Little Gem Pea Salad:
- 2 small heads (about 8 ounces or 8 cups total) Little Gem lettuce, separated into small leaves
- 1 cup vegetable sprouts (i.e., radish, pea, alfalfa, sunflower, kohlrabi)*
- ½ cup fresh chopped dill
- 1 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed) shelled sweet peas
- 1 cup fresh sprouted red lentils** (may substitute with cooked, cooled red lentils)
Easy Lemon Vinaigrette:
- Make salad by placing lettuce leaves, vegetable sprouts, dill, peas, and sprouted red lentils in a 3 quart salad bowl and tossing gently.
- Make lemon vinaigrette by whisking together lemon juice and zest, salt, and black pepper in a small dish.
- In a small dish, mix together lemon juice and zest, salt and black pepper as desired, and whisk together until mixed.
- Drizzle over salad and toss.
- Serve immediately.
- Makes 8 servings (about 1 1/3 cups each).
Notes
*Find a variety of vegetable sprouts at your farmers market, supermarket, or make them yourself.
**Find fresh sprouted red lentils at natural food stores, farmers markets, or sprout them yourself following my guide here.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 7 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
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